1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to image capturing apparatuses, and particularly, to an image capturing apparatus having changeable lens assembly to allow capturing fingerpad images and common images of photographic interest.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, fingerprint identification has become the most typical and promising branch of biometrics. Fingerprint identification is beginning to be used for application in various portable electronic devices, such as personal computers, mobile phones, and personal digital assistants. Such portable electronic devices are also required to have good image performance in capturing common images.
Capturing of fingerpad images is one of the key techniques of fingerprint identification. A lens or a lens assembly for capturing fingerpad images is required to be defined at a position where the lens can capture a best/clearest image of the fingerpad placed thereon. As a result, the lens is too specialized and does not provide a satisfying result in capturing common images, because object distances are usually much longer.
What is needed, therefore, is an image capturing apparatus which has changeable lens assembly to allow capturing fingerpad images and common images of photographic interest.